Machine for forming an oval opening in an axle housing



May 24, 1960 A. c. GOULD 2,937,687

' MACHINE FOR FORMING AN OVAL OPENING IN AN AXLE HOUSING Filed Nov. 1,1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

INVENTOR.

ARLOW G. GOULD ATTY.

May 24, 1960 A. G. GOULD 2,937,687

MACHINE FOR FORMING AN OVAL OPENING IN AN AXLE HOUSING Filed Nov. 1,1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

ARLOW G. GOULD ATTY.

May 24, 1960 A. G. GOULD 2,937,687

MACHINE FOR FORMING AN OVAL OPENING IN AN AXLE HOUSING Filed Nov. 1,1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 l l 1 1 1 *3 |56 I r. r: I

4 h- 154 if I --l6O INVENTOR.

ARLOW G. GOU LD BYVQWM ATTY.

May 24, 1960 A. e. GOULD 2,937,687

v MACHINE FOR FORMING AN OVAL OPENING IN AN AXLE HOUSING Filed NOV. 1,1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 4 '8 v [06 4 54 L 2o II82 INVENTOR.

ARLOW G. GOULD BQQWM ATTY.

May 24, 1960 A. G. GOULD 2,937,

MACHINE. FOR FORMING AN OVAL OPENING IN AN AXLE HOUSING Filed Nov. 1,1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVEN Qj ARLOW G. sou 5 WWW ATTY.

United States Arlow G. Gould, Niles, Mich., assignor to Clark EquipmentCompany, a corporation of Michigan Eiled Nov. 1, 1955, Ser. No. 544,22iV Claims. 01. 153-48) This invention relates to a machine for formingaxle housings, and more particularly to a machine for forming an ovalopening in the banjo portion of drive axle housings for trucks, busses,passenger vehicles and the like. r

Heretofore axle housings of the type specified. have been formed withcircular openings in either side of the banjo frame which are adapted topermit passage therethrough of the differential gear set, for example,of any given rear axle drive unit. One method of making axle housingswith circular openings, which has met with signal commercial success, isdisclosed in expired Reissue Patent No. 20,103 to George Spatta. 1

In certain applications it has been found that oval, as distinguishedfrom circular, openings in the axle housing best meet the requirementsthat the openings be large enough to permit passage of the gear settherethrough, and that the overall height of the housing be suflicientlysmall to permit adequate road clearance. I a

I have discovered a method for ovalizing circular openings in axlehousings of the type specified by which the metal forming the banjoportion of the housing is reformed by cold forging means into arelatively elongated configuration, and the metal defining the circularopenings in said housing is reshaped to define oval openings havingmajor axes parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing. My methodis claimed in co-pending application Serial No. 647,034 filed March 19,1957 which is a division of the present application.

My method may be carried out by using the machine disclosed herein whichincludes a plurality of power actuated dies locatable within and withoutthe banjo housing, each of said dies being actuatable in predeterminedcoordinated relation with each other die in such a manner that a firstpair of oppositely and internally disposed identical dies move outwardlyin opposite directions to predetermined positions along an axistransverse to the longitudinal axis of the housing so as to fix thefinal length of the minor axes of the oval openings and form the metaladjacent such axes, a second pair of oppositely and internally disposedidentical dies move outwardly in opposite directions to predeterminedpositions along an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housingto forge or reshape the banjo and ovalize the openings therein bylengthening the major axes thereof, and a third pair of oppositely andexternally disposed identical dies move inwardly in opposite directionsto ate'nt O practical andinex'pen'sive wayof:

2,937,587 2 V E PatentedMay 24, 1960 ovalizing the banjo portion of aforged single piece axle housing, 'It has also been found that use of mynovel metho'd'and machine for the purpose described does not appreciablyreduce the strength or load bearing characteristics of the axle housing.V I

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a machinefor ovalizing circuit openings in the banjo portion of axle housings; I

Another-important object of this invention isft'o 'provide a novel andrelatively simple machine for carrying out my method. v

A further object of my invention, is to provide a cold forging machinefor reshaping circular openings in the banjo frame of axle housingssuchthat the normal height of the banjo frameis decreased and the openingstherein are elongated along a predetermined axis.

0 Other objectsand advantages of the present invention predeterminedpositions along the axis of said first'pair piece forged axle housinghaving oval openings formed in either side of the banjo portion thereof.

It has been found that by using the above described method, ovalizedbanjo housings maybe manufactured atconsiderably lower cost than by anyotherknown method, and that said method provides the only known 1Figured;

will become apparentto-those skilled in the art'from the followingdetailed description when'taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

Figure lis' a partial front elevation of my machine .having an axlehousing of the type specified shown mounted thereon with the coldforging dies of said machine disposed at the ends of their cycle ofovalizing operation; 1

Figure 2 is a partial section taken along line 2 -2 of partialjsectiontaken along line 2A-:2A outer die'150describ'ed heret Figure 2A is a ofFigure l (with the top inafter-omitted);

Figure-3 is a partial sectional view taken along line 3-3 ofFigure' l; e1

Figure-4 is a schematic view impartial section of a part of theoperating mechanism shown in'Figure 3 just after'the ovalizing cycle hasbegun; 3 I

Figure 5 is a' schematized partial section ofa part of the operatingmechanism shown in Figure 2 just after the ovalizing cycle has begun, asshown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a schematized partial sectional view of a part of theoperating mechanism shown near the end of the ovalizing cycle of Figure3; and i Figure 7 is a perspective view Oi'thfi main part of th machine,as shown in Figure 1, with one modification as explained hereinafter,taken at about a 45 angle in the upper right handquadrant with'the axlehousing removed andthe forging dies. in non-operating positions.Referring now to'Figures 1, 2, 3 and 7, a cold forging machine isgenerally shown at numeral 10 having a support plate 12 which may bemounted on a floor supported base, not shown, inany desired position,i.e., horizontal, vertical'orat any desired angle therebetween For thepurpose of the following description it will be assumed that plate 12 ismounted in a vertical position. Rigidly connected to plate member 12, asby studs, are yoke or cradle members '14 and 16 mounted in horizontallyspaced relation to Y each other, horizontally extending 'and vertically.spaced ways 18 and 20 having grooves or tracks22 and 24 extendingalongthe inner portions-thereof, respectively, vertically extending andhorizontally spaced ways 26, 28,?and 30,32 having vertically extendinginwardly disposed tracks similar to .those of ways 18 and 20, verticallyextending and centrally located hydraulic piston and cylinderconstructions of well known type, ,one of whichis shown at 34, andspring loaded plunger mountings 36 and 38 (Figure 1) and pneumaticpiston-and cylinder responsive means'37 and 39 (Figure7). 3 a

Two plate-like. members or slides 40 and 42 are each mounted for slidingmovement in the grooves 22. and 24 of ways 18' and 20. A die 44 having aconvex surface 46 formed as asector of an oval extends transversely utly f m li e 9 a s sidl enam thereto by bolts 48. The die 44 is formedwith a longitudinal slot 50 running through the central section thereof,said slot including a flat slopingsurface 52 for a purpose to bedescribed. A die 54 identical to die 44 is connected to slide 42 bybolts 56 and .is symmetrically disposed relative to die 44 about theaxis of a reciprocable piston rod 58. a

A second set of identical dies 60 and 62 are symmetrically disposed onopposite sides of rod 58 mid-way between dies 44 and 54'and areconnected to block members 64 and 66 by bolts 68 and 70 (see Figure 3),said block members and dies being pivoted on stub-shafts 72 and 74. Thestub-shaft 72 is supported at the opposite ends thereof in horizontallyaligned cylindrical bores 76 and 78 in the upper part of dies 54 and44,respectively, and the stub-shaft 74. is similarly mounted. incylindrical bores 80 and 82 disposed in the lower portion of said dies.Suitably mountedtbetween support plate 12 and pivoted members 64 and 66are a pair .of springs 84 and 86 which urge members 64, 60 and 66, 62about shafts 72 and 74, respectively, in counterclockwise and clockwisedirections, respectively,'as viewed in Figure 3.

A camming wedge structure 100 is mounted on piston shaft 58 for movementtherewith and has projecting from a sleeve 102 thereof a first pair ofintegral oppositely disposed identical wedge portions 104 and 106, and asecond pair of oppositely disposed identical wedge por-' tions 108 and110, each identical pair of said wedge portions beingdisposed intransverse relation to the other pair of wedge portions on the sleeve102. The wedge portions 104 and 106 are formed with flat slopingsurfaces 112 and 114, respectively, and with flat horizontal surfaces116 and 118, respectively, and wedge portions 108 and 110 are formedwith flat horizontal surfaces 120, 122 and 124, 126, respectively, andwith flat sloping surfaces 128 and 130, respectively. Structure 100 ismounted on piston rod 58 so that wedges 104 and .106 register with slots50 and 55 in dies 44 and54, respectively, the sloping surfaces ofsaiddies being cut at the same angle as surfaces 112 and .114 of therespective wedges. When structure 100is mounted in this position theouter surfaces of wedge portions 108 and Y110 are disposed in contactwith a portion of the inner surfaces of block members 64 and 66,respectively.

Sleeve 102 terminates at ihesouter'end'thereof in a collar 132 which isheld in a ,fixed axial position relative to rod 58 by-a :fitting:13.4'whichlthreadedly mates with the end of said rod. .An hydraulicicylinderconstruction 136, suitably connectedto in hydraulic fluid pressurecontrol mechanism, not shown, is :adaptedto' actuate structure 100 withpiston rod '58 in eithertdirection along the axis of said rod. A'ring137 connected to fitting 134 by bolts 138 functions as a positive.stopxfor inward actuation of structure 100 when the ring is 'moved intoabutment with outer radially extending surfaces of pivoted block members64an'd =66. Opposite movement of wedge 100 is limited by a stop member,not shown, built into cylinder construction 136.

With the structure 100located in its fully extended position, i.e., whenthe stop in cylinder 136 limits outward movement of said structure,springs 84 and 86 hold block members 64 and and the die membersconnected 11181680111 an inwardly rotated position on stubshafts 72 and74 (see Figure 4), in which position the outer portions of the innersurfaces of said block members abut surfaces 128 and '130 of wedgeportions 108 tained in contact withja portionof the outer contouredsurfaces of wedge portionsllM 106 by two pairs of piston, not shown.

spring loaded plunger sets 140 and 142 mounted in supports 36 and 38,respectively, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or by pneumatic actuators 39and 37, respec tively, as shown in Figure 7 as an alternateconstruction, said plunger sets or actuators, as the case may be, beingoperatively connected to slide members 40 and 42, respectively, to urgesame, along with dies 44 and 54, inwardly towards the axis of pistonshaft 58. It is apparent that the manner of loading each of dies 44, 54,60, and 62 effects continuous contact between the respective innersurfaces of the die-blocks with the corresponding outer surfaces ofwedge portions 104, 106, 108, and 110, respectively.

When cylinder 136 is energized to retract piston rod 58 from its fullyextended position, structure moves inwardly with said rod to expand thevarious dies outwardly in the following manner: (a) Sloping surfaces 128and 130 of wedge portions 108 and first rotate dies 60 and 62 outwardlyabout stub-shafts 72 and 74 as said surfaces are moved towards cylinder136, during which time dies 44 and 54 remain in their initial positionsin contact with the extended flat surfaces 116 and 118 of wedge members104 and 106; (b) Continued retraction of piston rod 58 causes dies 60and 62 to fully traverse sloping surfaces 128 and 130 and be thereaftermaintained in an outer fixed horizontal position by surfaces and 124,during traverse of which latter surfaces dies 44 and 54 are actuatedoutwardly in opposite directions by sloping surfaces 112 and 114 ofwedge portions 104 and 106 which move inwardly through slots 50 and 55of said dies; and (0) Full outward movement of dies 44 and 54 occurswhen stop member 137 is actuated into contact with block members and 66.It should be noted that outward actuation of dies 44 and 54 begins atthe moment when dies 60 and 62 are actuated out of contact with slopingsurfaces 128 and and into con- .tact with surfaces 120 and 124 of wedgeportions 108 and 110. The relationship between the positions of the twopairs of die members is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, wherein outwardmovement of dies 60 and 62 has just begun while dies 44 and 54 remain intheir inwardmost positions on surfaces 116 and 118 of wedge members 104and106.

A third pair of outwardly disposed dies and 152 are reciprocablyactuatable by fluid pressure cylinder means, such as shown at 34, tomove inwardly in opposite directions towards dies 60 and 62 in ways 30,32 and 26, 28, respectively. Die 152 is shown connected to a piston rod154 of cylinder means 34 by a connecting block 156 bolted thereto.Passages 158 and 160 are disposed-at opposite ends of cylinder means 34for conducting pressurized fluid to one side or the other of a Inwardmovement of dies 150 and 152 by the connected cylinder means isinitiated in predetermined timed relation by a control mechanism, notshown, so that the beginning of such movement is simultaneous with orjust behind the beginning of outward expanding movement "of dies'44 and54. Preferably, the beginning of inward movement of dies 150 and 152 isapproximately one second behind the beginning of outward movement ofdies 44 and 54, although, obviously, such timing may be varied asdesired. Dies 150 and 152 continue to move inwardly until outwardmovement of dies 44 and 54 ceases, as determined by the position ofcontact between ring stop member 137 and mem bers 64 and 66, at whichtime a solenoid valve in the control mechanism, not shown, isautomatically energized to reverse the direction of fluid flow intocylinder means 34 and 136, thereby causing outward movement of structure100 with piston rod 58 and outward movement of piston rods 154 whichpermits inward radial movement of the four inner dies and outward radialmovement of the two outer dies.

Grease runs 162 and 164 are located between the slide 40 and the die 44and between i 16 slide 42 and die 54 respectively, and terminate at theinner surfaces of said dies for insuring proper lubrication betweenwedge portion 104 and die 44, and between wedge 10 6 f'and die 54,respectively. A stop member 166, in the form of a ring sector, is boltedtoslide 40, and asimilar 'stop' member 1.685s bolted to slide 42 for apurpose to be described. 7 Q

When each of the six described dies is in a fully collapsed position, asshown in Figures 4, and 7, an axle housing 170 having oppositelyextending arms 172 and 174, a banjo housing or frame 176, and rings 180and 182 aligned with and welded to' the outer faces of the oppositesides of the banjo frame, made in accordance with, for example, themethod disclosed in the Spatta Reissue Patent 20,103, supra, may beplaced in the cold forging machine 10 by approximately aligning thecircular openings in the banjo housing 176 with piston rod 58 and thenslightly lifting the entire housing to place arms 172 and 174 in thecradles of yokes 14 and 16. The yokes are so positioned on supportingplate 12 that when the axle housing is centered thereon, the axis ofrevolution of the banjo frame 176 is in substantial alignment with theaxis of piston rod 58. The inner mounted position of axle housing 170 onthe forging machine 10 is determined by the position of contact betweenrin 182 and stop members 166 and 168.

To ovalize the banjo housing and the circular openings therein, themachine 10 is put into operation, following which the following sequenceof operations occur: Cylinder means 136 begins to retract structure 100to first actuate dies 60 and 62 outwardly to predetermined positions asfixed by the rise of wedge portions 108 and 110 between surfaces 122 and120, and 126 and 124, in which positions dies 60 and 62 are apredetermined distance away from or out of contact with the adjacentinner surface portions of the banjo housing; substantiallysimultaneously with departure of said dies from the sloping faces 128and 130 of said wedge portions, dies 44 and 54 move outwardly intocontact with the adjacent inner surfaces of the banjo housing along thesloping surfaces 112 and 114 of wedge portions. 104 and 106, respec?tively; and simultaneously with initial contact between said lattermentioned dies and the banjo housing, or within one to three secondsthereafter, as preferred, cylinder means 34 and another, not shown, areenergized to actuate dies 150 and 152 into contact with portions of theouter surfaces of the banjo housing adjacent to the latter dies.Retraction of structure 100 and inward movement of dies 150 and 152continues until stop member 136 contacts pivoted block members 64 and66, as before explained, by which time the load on cylinder means 136,which is, in practice, in the order of 50 tons, and the load exerted onthe upper and lower portions of the banjo housing by dies 150 and 152have caused a reshaping of the banjo housing into the form shown inFigure 1.

In practice, this cold forging process effects, in a given model of axlehousing, an elongation of approximately two inches of the originaldiameter of the circular opening in the banjo along the longitudinalaxis of the housing, and a decrease or shortening of the originaldiameter by approximately three-quarters inch along the transversehousing diameter.

It will be noted that inward pressure on the housing portions adjacentdies 150 and 152 continues, until said housing portions are in contactwith the formed ends of predeterminately positioned dies 60 and 62, atwhich time dies 44 and 54 have reached full extension. As hereinbeforeexplained, a solenoid valve is automatically energized at this time toreverse the movements of the cylinder means, which then actuate thevarious dies away from the respective adjacent surfaces of the banjohousing, following which the axle housing 170 may be removed from themachine 10.

vThe surfaces of each die of the pairs of diet: "60, 62

and 150, 152, which are actuatable into-forging relation with thecorresponding inner and outer surfaces ofthe banjo housing, aresubstantially straight and flat so that upper and lower sections ofpredetermined extension of said banjo housing are cold forged intosubstantially straight-section s, whereas the surface engaging portionsof dies 44 and 54 are formed in substantially elliptical sections. Theresultant configuration of the openings in the banjo housing issubstantially elliptical.

It will be noted that each of the six die members utilized in reformingthe banjo frame 176 of theaxle housing are readily removable fromadjacent supporting members. This arrangement permits various dieinserts to be used as desired for cold forging the banjo frame into moreor less elliptical or other shapes as desired. In addition, it isapparent that my machine may be readily designed to accommodate axlehousings of widely varying size and configuration, and that the samenovel method is applicable to reforming the shape of the banjo frames ofhousings of such varying size and shape.

It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerousmodifications in structure and the arrangement of parts may be madewithout departing from the scope of my invention.

I claim: 7

1. In a machine for reforming axle housings having a hollow banjo frame,arms extending longitudinally outwardly in opposite directions from saidframe, and a circular opening formed in each side face of said frame;

supporting means mounted on said machine for holdingan axle housing inmounted position thereon, a first pair of substantially identical diesextending through the circular openings in said banjo frame, means foractuating said dies outwardly in opposite directions in the plane of thelongitudinal axis of said axle housing for reforming the shape of thebanjo frame by increasing a diametral length of each of said circularopenings, a second pair of substantially identical dies extendingthrough said banjo frame, means for actuating said second pair of diesoutwardly in opposite directions in a plane transverse to thelongitudinal axis of said axle housing to predetermined positions withinsaid banjo frame, a third pair of dies mounted exteriorly of said banjoframe for directionally opposed movement in the plane of said secondpair of 'in claim 1 wherein the banjo frame shaping surfaces of saidsecond and third pairs of dies are at least partially flat, the banjoframe shaping surfaces of said first pair of dies are convex, and theresulting form of said banjo frame and the openings therein aresubstantially oval following actuation of said three pairs of dies asdefined.

3. A machine for reforming axle housings as claimed in claim 1 whereinthe die actuating means for said first and second pairs of diescomprises .reciprocablewedgelike portions actuableby hydraulic means andcontoured in predetermined relation to each other.

4. A machine for reforming axle housings as claimed in claim 1 whereinmeans are provided for returning each of said pairs of dies to initialpositions out of engage- I ment with said banjo frame following fullreforming movement thereof.

5. A machine for reforming axle housings as claimed in claim 3 whereinsaid wedge-like portions first actuate 7 said second pairof diesoutwardly to said predetermined positions, said wedge-like portions thenactuate said first References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Re. 20,103 Spatta Sept. 8, 1936 1,091,751 Morgan et a1.Mar. 31, 1914 1,435,679 Young Nov. 14, 1922 8 Cox 1' MayI S, 1923 HolmesMar. 4, 1930 Hother sall Sept. 15, '1931 Hollars Sept. 13, 1932 Spatta"Sept. 15, 1933 Spatta May 8, 1934 Carswell et al. July 5, 1949 HaleSept. 10, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 22, 1931 Germany Sept.8, 1936

